John Adams to Abigail Adams 2d

[dateline] October 20th, 1775

[salute] My dear Daughter

I condole with you, most sincerely, for the loss of your most worthy grandmamma. I
know you must be afflicted at this severe stroke. She was an excellent instructress
to you, and a bright example of every amiable virtue. Her piety and benevolence; her
charity; her prudence, patience, and wisdom, would have been, if it had pleased God
to spare her life, an admirable model for you to copy. But she is no more: however,
I hope you will remember a great deal of her advice and be careful to pursue it.

Now you have lost so valuable an ancestor, I hope you will be more attentive than
ever to the instructions and examples of your mamma and your aunts. They I know will
give you every assistance in forming your heart to goodness and your mind to useful
knowledge, as well as to those other accomplishments which are peculiarly necessary
and ornamental in your sex. My love to your brothers and all the rest of the family.
Your father,

MS not found. Printed from (Journal and Correspondence of Miss Adams, ... Edited by Her Daughter, New York, 1841–1842, 2:3–4.)

Docno: ADMS-04-01-02-0201

Author: Adams, John

Recipient: Adams, Thomas Boylston

Date: 1775-10-20

John Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams

[dateline] Octr. 20. 1775

[salute] My dear son

I have suffered a great deal of Anxiety on your Account, having heard of your severe
sickness. But am very glad to learn that you are better.1

I hope you will remember to whom you are obliged for your Restoration to Health, and
that you will be sensible of the kind Care of your Mamma in your Illness and thankfull
for it.

Your excellent Grandmamma, it is to be feared, took the Distemper which proved fatal
to her at our House when she was kindly assisting your Mamma in attending upon you
and the rest of the sick Family.— Your Age was so tender that you never had so much
Knowledge of her, as your sister and Brothers, but I hope you knew so much of her
Goodness as to wish to imitate it.

Be always dutifull and obedient to your Mamma and mind your Books—for it is only from
your Books and the kind Instructions of your Parents that you can expect to be usefull
in the World.

1. There is no indication on the MS which son JA is addressing, but it was TBA, youngest of the three, who had been seriously ill.

Docno: ADMS-04-01-02-0202

Author: Adams, Abigail

Recipient: Adams, John

Date: 1775-10-21

Abigail Adams to John Adams

[dateline] Braintree October 21 1775

Tis ten Days since I have wrote you a line; I have received one Letter since dated
27 of Sepbr.1 You do not mention having heard from me altho I have wrote six Letters. I thought
I should have heard oftner from you in this absence than I had ever done before, but
it has been quite otherways. I never found the communication so difficult, and tis
only in my Night visions that I know any thing about you.

I have now the pleasure to tell you that we are all well. Charlly has had an ill turn
since I wrote, but soon got better. Mr. Thaxter and Mr. Mason are returnd to me, and
my family begins again to appear as it used to. Hayden does not stir. Says he will
not go out of the parish unless he is carried out—and here nobody will let him come
in. I { 306 } have offerd him part of the House that Field is in if he will but go out, but no where
suits, and it is not to be wonderd at as he has wood at free cost and has plunderd
pretty well from the family they live <with> many articles.2 I have a great mind to send a sheriff and put him out.

The sickness has abated here and in the Neighbouring Towns. In Boston I am told it
is very sickly among the inhabitants and the soldiry. By a Man one Haskings who came
out the day befor yesterday I learn; that there are but about 25 hundred Soldiers
in Town. How many there are at Charlstown he could not tell. He had been in Irons
3 weeks, some malicious fellow having said that he saw him at the Battle of Lexinton,
but he proved that he was not out of Boston that day, upon which he was releazd, and
went with two other men out in a small boat under their Eye to fish. They play'd about
near the shore a while catching small fish, till they thought they could possibly
reach Dorchester Neck; no sooner were they perceived attempting to escape than they
had 20 cannon dischargd at them, but they all happily reachd the shore. He says no
Language can paint the distress of the inhabitants, most of them destitute of wood
and of provisions of every kind. The Bakers say unless they have a new
supply of wood they cannot bake above one fortnight longer—their Bisquit are not above
one half the former size. The Soldiers are obliged to do very hard duty, and are uneasy
to a great degree, many of them declareing they will not continue much longer in such
a state but at all hazards will escape; the inhabitants are desperate, and contriveing
means of escape. A floating Battery of ours went out two nights ago, and row'd near
the Town, and then discharged their Guns. Some of the Ball went into the Work house,
some through the Tents in the common, and one through the Sign of the Lamb Tavern;
he says it drove them all out of the common, Men, women and children screaming, and
throe'd them into the utmost distress. But very unhappily for us in the discharge
of one of the cannon, the Ball not being properly ramed down one of them split and
killd 2 men and wounded 7 more, upon which they were obliged to return. He also says
that the Tories are much distressd about the fate of Dr.
Church, and very anxious to obtain him, and would exchange Lovel for him. This Man
is so exasperated at the ill usage he has received from them that he is determined
to inlist immediately. They almost starved him whilst he was in Irons, he says he
hopes it will be in his power to send some of them to Heaven for mercy.

They are building a fort by the Hay market and rending down houses for timber to do
it with. In the course of the last week several person[s] { 307 } have found means to escape. One of them says tis talked in Town that How will issue
a proclamation giving Liberty to all who will not take up arms to depart the Town,
and make it death to have any intercourse with the Country afterwards.

At present it looks as if there was no likelihoods of peace. The Ministry are determind
to proceed at all events. The people are already slaves, and have neither virtue or
spirit to help themselves or us. The time is hastning when Gorge like Richard may
cry a kingdom a kingdom for a horse, and want even that wealth to make the purchase.

I hope by degrees we shall be innured to hardships and become a vi[r]tuous valient people, forgetting our formour Luxery and each one apply with industery
and frugality to Manufactory and husbandery till we rival all other Nations by our
Virtues.

I thank you for your amuseing account of the Quaker[s]. Their great stress with regard to coulours in their dress &c. is not the only ridiculous
part of their Sentiments with regard to Religious Matters.

There's not a day, but, to the Man of thought,

Betrays some secret, that throws new reproach

on life, and makes him sick of seeing more.

What are your thoughts with regard to Dr. Church? Had you much knowledg of him? I
think you had no intimate acquaintance with him.

“A foe to God was ne'er true Friend to man

Some sinister intent taints all he does.”

It is a matter of great Speculation what will be his punishment. The people are much
enraged against him. If he is set at liberty, even after he has received a severe
punishment I do not think he will be safe. He will be dispised and detested by every
one, and many suspisions will remain in the minds of people with regard to our rulers;
they are for supposing this person is not sincere and that they have jealousy of.

Have you any prospect of returning. I hoped to have heard from you by the Gentlemen
who came as a committe here, but they have been here a week, and I have not any Letters.

My Father and Sister Betsy desire to be rememberd to you. He is very disconsolate.
It makes my heart ake to see him and I know not how to go to the House; he said to
me the other day child I see your Mother, go to what part of the house I will. I think
he has lost almost { 308 } as much flesh as if he had been sick, and Betsy poor Girl looks broke and worne with
Grief. These near connextions how they twist and cling about the Heart and when torn
of draw the best Blood from it—

“Each Friend snatchd from us is a plume

pluck'd from the wing of Humane vanity.”

Be so good as to present my Regards to Mrs. Hancoke.3 I hope she is very happy. Mrs. Warren call'd upon me on her Way to Watertown. I wish
I could as easily come to you, as she can go to Watertown but tis my Lot. In the 12
years we have been married I believe we have not lived together more than six.

If you could with any conveniancy procure me the articles I wrote for I should be
very glad, more especially the needles and cloth. They are in such demand that we
are really distressd for want of them.

We have had abundance of rain since you left us. I hope the Sickness with which we
have been excersised has not reach'd Philadelphia. Mr. Wibird has not been able to
preach since you left us, and is in a very low state.

Our little ones are well. Tommy is so fat he can scarcly see out of his Eyes, but
is still excersiced with them fits. Dr. Tufts son is sick with a slow fever. Adieu.
I think of nothing further to add but that I am With the tenderest Regard your

[signed] Portia

PS [] Since I wrote the above I have received a Letter by Mr. Bayard for which I thank
you. It gives me pleasure to find you in so good health. I have heard this Evening
that a Man of War has been sent to Falmouth to make a demand of wood, upon which an
express was sent of to our camp, and the express says a few hours after he set out,
he heard a smart cannonade. The truth has not yet reachd us.4 We are anxious to hear from Canady.—If you can procure me some Carolina pink root
from any of the Apothecarys I wish you would for Tommy. We think knots of worms is
the occasion of his fits. I have tried worm Seed, but it has no Effect.—Write if you
can to my Father and Sister. Send the news papers they are very acceptable.

3. John Hancock was married on 28 Aug. to Dorothy, daughter of Justice Edmund Quincy,
at Fairfield, Conn. (DAB). See Adams Genealogy. The couple had long been engaged, but JA's surprise at the news was considerable and was expressed in a letter to James Warren
of 17 Sept. (Warren-Adams Letters, 1:110).

4. The town of Falmouth (now Port• { 309 } land, Maine) was bombarded and burnt by a British naval squadron acting under orders
from Adm. Samuel Graves, 17 Oct.; see French, First Year, p. 540–543, 765–766.